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More than four weeks have passed since we last looked at a simulation project in this space, but on Wednesday ESPN’s duo of Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz released an update. While ESPN’s reporting may not be a gospel of the 2020 NBA Draft, Givony and Schmitz certainly have an influence as representatives of mainstream draft sentiment and, just a week before the Atlanta Hawks were at number 6, ESPN projects Travis Schlenk and company to select Auburn wing Isaac Okoro with the team’s lottery pick.
Okoro is the type of wing stopper who can go a long way in masking Trae Young’s shortcomings on the defensive side, with his ability to keep point guards and attackers out. He also has significant advantages to develop through his burgeoning passing and ball ability while bringing the kind of competitiveness and physicality the Hawks sometimes lacked last season. There is also buzz that the Hawks could move on to teenagers while adding another even more proven young player to the roster.
During this extremely long draft cycle, the Hawks have been linked to virtually every possible prospect in a top-tier simulation project. That list includes Tyrese Haliburton, Deni Avdija, James Wiseman, Onyeka Okongwu, Devin Vassell and Killian Hayes, with LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards linked to the Hawks before the lottery dictates the order of the draft.
In this simulation, Avdija and Toppin are off the board, leaving the Hawks with limited options. Still, it’s interesting that Okoro is the intended choice of a news-based source, especially with The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner reporting that Avdija, Okongwu and Haliburton could be at a higher level for the Atlanta front office. .
Okoro is a (very) talented player, especially on the defensive end, and he projects himself as a potentially revolutionary force on that side of the pitch. Offensively his kickoff is certainly a question mark, but Okoro has underrated ball skills, with the ability to put pressure on the rim as a quality finisher.
The Hawks are involved in all sort of rumbling at this point, but, with a week to go, the biggest domestic draft fixes Okoro in Atlanta.
Stay tuned.
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